I think no. Kobe seems to be rushing himself to get back because he knows the severity of the situation they are in. They have lost a couple of starters and some squad players (Jamieson, Howard and World Peace) and not really replaced them well. KB almost single handedly got them into the play offs last year but that was a bad injury he had, if they rush him he may break down

Minnesota will be fully dependant on injuries. If they break as many mirrors and walk under as many ladders as they did last year replace them with Denver and Lakers to be the unlucky 9th place

i think if the Lakers got a fully fit team there a playoff team but that is a big if. i think the Pelicans need to improve alot on d to be a playoff team. golden state could make 3rd out west if Curry & Bogut stay fit with the addition of iggy could be a big year Curry was huge in the playoffs last year (got 2 make the all star game this year).

Curry not making the all star game was a joke, it goes on reputation rather than people actually looking at the smaller teams

Agree on the Pelicans but like a few teams this year they have got great potential, if Davis can kick on and the likes of Anderson have a big year then they could make play offs (my guess is they do)

What would be your predictions? I am really unsure on LAC this year, the parts are there and Doc will make their defense stronger but will that be at the expense of their explosive play? They werent great in the playoffs last year and there is huge pressure on this year with Paul signing new contract

British sports fans will be able to watch multi-platform coverage of the NBA (National Basketball Association), including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, and the likes of the Miami Heat, LA Lakers and New York Knicks, after BT Sport and the NBA reached an agreement for exclusively live television coverage of top NBA games and programming in the UK and Ireland.

The multi-year agreement between BT Sport and the world’s premier men's professional basketball league tips off on Sunday December 1, as the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers, featuring Paul George and Roy Hibbert, take on West Coast rivals the LA Clippers, featuring Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, at 8.30pm UK time on BT Sport 2.

Coverage will include weekly games on Sundays in primetime.

Fans will also be able to access selected games streamed live and for free on the BT Sport website and BT Sport App (available on iOS and Google Play) along with either nba.com and NBA LEAGUE PASS International. Full schedule details of games will be confirmed in due course.

The new agreement will see up to 200 games throughout the season, appearing across BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and ESPN. There will be up to seven live games per week throughout the regular season and the first and second rounds of the NBA Playoffs, as well as every game of the Conference Finals, culminating in the NBA Finals in June.

As part of the partnership, fans will be able to watch GB’s Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls take on the Brooklyn Nets as one of five scheduled games on BT Sport on Christmas Day, making BT Sport one of the few places to go for live televised sport on Christmas Day.

“Existing NBA fans will love our coverage, and we look forward to converting many more."

Simon Green | Head of BT SportThe Nets will face off against the Atlanta Hawks at The O2 in London on January 16, as part of NBA Global Games 2014. The game - which sold out in record time - will be live on BT Sport.

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: "BT Sport will be the new home of the NBA in the UK and Ireland.

"The NBA is simply the best basketball in the world. It is fast moving, high scoring and includes some the world’s most recognisable global sporting icons.

"Existing NBA fans will love our coverage, and we look forward to converting many more."

One of the highlights of BT Sport’s coverage will be NBA All-Star which takes place every year in February at the midway point of the NBA season.

A global celebration of basketball, NBA All-Star consists of a variety of basketball events and competitions, including the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and Three-Point Contest, culminating in the NBA All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game pits the league's star players from the Eastern Conference against their counterparts from the Western Conference, with the starting line-up for each team selected by fans from around the globe.

Fans in the UK can vote for their favorite players for NBA All-Star 2014 by visiting nba.com/asb.

“BT Sport is the ideal partner to serve as the official broadcaster of the NBA."

"With BT Sport’s first rate presentation and formidable portfolio of premium sports content, fans can now look forward to more NBA action than ever before in the UK and Ireland, including selected free streamed games.

"Through its innovative multi-platform offering of live NBA games, highlights, magazine shows and unique behind-the-scenes programming, BT Sport is the ideal partner to serve as the official broadcaster of the NBA."

Also included in the partnership will be several magazine shows:

NBA Action combines weekly highlights and newsNBA Inside Stuff will provide fans with a unique insight into the lives of NBA stars both on and off the courtNBA Tonight provides an overview of the NBA through interviews and analysisNBA Countdown, the live game build up show before selected games

Been some decent play off games so far. i watched the clippers warriors game on nights last night, been watching them for 2 seasons now and the improvement from some players has been ridiculous. Blake Griffin was knocking jump shots in for fun last night last season he rarely tried to make any. Biggest improvement is Deandre Jordan defensively he has been unreal, 22 rebounds last night 5 blocks. i expect them to take it in 6. I'm hoping Memphis can keep it up v OKC and it be Clippers Memphis next.